On my Shelf

07 July 2009

Two for Tuesday - it's back!

I started a new job several weeks ago - and that is why I have been remiss in my Two for Tuesday posts. I try to write them at least 2 times a month, and I have been late - very late this time around. I like to write about people who I think pair up well. They might have things in common (like they are both from the same part of the world) or they write about similar topics. All in all, I pick two fabulous people and showcase their very best for all to see. This time I chose two Americans living life abroad - they are both fantastic women living in places I have either lived (France) or traveled to (Morocco). And let me tell you - I would very quickly live in both places again.

I will start with Maryam, as in My Marrakash, as she happens to be the very first person whose blog I EVER followed, so needless to say, she holds a very special place in my heart. If you ever find yourself wandering through the endless mazes of the souks in Marrakesh, bargaining with the shopkeepers over a pairs of babouches or the perfect size pouffe, the person in the know is Maryam. I had the privilege of discussing the finer points of Moroccan bargaining with her and fair prices last summer on my 3-wk holiday to Spain and Morocco. Her site, while focused on a fabulous family living in Marrakesh, also delves into food, friends, travel, and rights. Human rights around the world. From Rwanda to India, Maryam captures it all with both words and images.

Next stop...France. I have spent a considerable of time in France, speak the language, and would love to someday have a home there. Perhaps when many people think of France, the Eiffel Tower comes to their mind, or images of a lovely couple walking hand in hand down the Seine. While this is all very real and very much France, it by no means encompasses ALL of France. Several years ago I had the unique opportunity to drive through a great deal of France: mountains, towns, lakes, countryside, ocean. No, it might not be a large country if you are looking at the actual size, but will all the diverse beauty that rests inside this country - it might as well be three time the size of Texas. And so her comes Jamie, as in Life's a Feast. Well, in France it most certainly is and every bit of it is better than the last. Jamie, like Maryam, is an ex-pat finding her way in a wonderful country, a new home away from home. She is also raising her family in France (she was in Italy for a while too!), and no, not in Paris, but in Nantes. Nantes is south-west of Paris and close to the Atlantic Coast. OK, back to Jamie! Between her fabulous recipes, her Life photos that will bring you back to a simpler time, and stories of her life as she navigates between moving, raising her children, living in Nantes, and her travel tales, you will be encouraged to take time out from your own life and step into hers.

Both Jamie and Maryam have similar stories - traveling around the world with their families to fabulous places, blogging about it, and letting us all see bits and pieces of their lives.

TrackBack

Comments

Two for Tuesday - it's back!

I started a new job several weeks ago - and that is why I have been remiss in my Two for Tuesday posts. I try to write them at least 2 times a month, and I have been late - very late this time around. I like to write about people who I think pair up well. They might have things in common (like they are both from the same part of the world) or they write about similar topics. All in all, I pick two fabulous people and showcase their very best for all to see. This time I chose two Americans living life abroad - they are both fantastic women living in places I have either lived (France) or traveled to (Morocco). And let me tell you - I would very quickly live in both places again.

I will start with Maryam, as in My Marrakash, as she happens to be the very first person whose blog I EVER followed, so needless to say, she holds a very special place in my heart. If you ever find yourself wandering through the endless mazes of the souks in Marrakesh, bargaining with the shopkeepers over a pairs of babouches or the perfect size pouffe, the person in the know is Maryam. I had the privilege of discussing the finer points of Moroccan bargaining with her and fair prices last summer on my 3-wk holiday to Spain and Morocco. Her site, while focused on a fabulous family living in Marrakesh, also delves into food, friends, travel, and rights. Human rights around the world. From Rwanda to India, Maryam captures it all with both words and images.

Next stop...France. I have spent a considerable of time in France, speak the language, and would love to someday have a home there. Perhaps when many people think of France, the Eiffel Tower comes to their mind, or images of a lovely couple walking hand in hand down the Seine. While this is all very real and very much France, it by no means encompasses ALL of France. Several years ago I had the unique opportunity to drive through a great deal of France: mountains, towns, lakes, countryside, ocean. No, it might not be a large country if you are looking at the actual size, but will all the diverse beauty that rests inside this country - it might as well be three time the size of Texas. And so her comes Jamie, as in Life's a Feast. Well, in France it most certainly is and every bit of it is better than the last. Jamie, like Maryam, is an ex-pat finding her way in a wonderful country, a new home away from home. She is also raising her family in France (she was in Italy for a while too!), and no, not in Paris, but in Nantes. Nantes is south-west of Paris and close to the Atlantic Coast. OK, back to Jamie! Between her fabulous recipes, her Life photos that will bring you back to a simpler time, and stories of her life as she navigates between moving, raising her children, living in Nantes, and her travel tales, you will be encouraged to take time out from your own life and step into hers.

Both Jamie and Maryam have similar stories - traveling around the world with their families to fabulous places, blogging about it, and letting us all see bits and pieces of their lives.